Jonathan Adler on Narrative Identity

                  P A R T I C I P A N T                    R E F E R E N C E

                              Jonathan M. Adler
                        Narrative Identity · Olin College of Engineering
       The story you tell about your life is not a record of what happened. It is the
                meaning you make of it — and meaning can be revised.
                                 — On the work of Jonathan M. Adler



  WHO IS JONATHAN ADLER


Jonathan M. Adler is Professor of Psychology at Olin College of Engineering and a leading
scholar of narrative identity — the evolving, self-constructed story we tell about our lives
that shapes our sense of self, our well-being, and our life outcomes.

His research focuses on how people make sense of challenging experiences, how that
meaning-making influences identity development, and how personal stories can be used
therapeutically and socially.
  THE CENTRAL CLAIM                             ·    NARRATIVE IDENTITY


Adler examines the dynamic interconnections between our stories and our well-being,
using both qualitative and quantitative methods. He has studied identity development in
people with physical disabilities, in psychotherapy clients, and in midlife adults, tracing
how the themes running through a personal narrative affect mental health.
        How we frame and narrate our experiences can significantly shape our
        psychological resilience and our sense of who we are.
Two narrative themes recur throughout his research:


  REDEMPTION SEQUENCES
  Stories that start bad and end good. Suffering is narrated as the passage to growth,
  insight, or connection — a pattern associated with stronger well-being.

  C O N TA M I N AT I O N S E Q U E N C E S
  Stories that start good and end bad. A positive scene is retold as spoiled by what
  followed — a pattern associated with poorer mental health.


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